


Online Friends

by pherryt



Category: Supernatural
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Mutual Pining, Online Friendship, a/b/o dynamics, angst with hopeful ending, everybody else knows, nervous cas, omega!cas, omega!dean, video games - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 00:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16862545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: Dean meets a lot of his best friends playing online games...he's never hesitated to meet any of them in person and make those bonds of friendship deeper. but then he realizes he's got a crush on Castiel but it doesn't seem like the other man's even interested...





	1. I Wish I Never Met You

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 21 – anon: I wish I Never met you – Destiel ABO word count 2358
> 
> (moved)

They didn’t talk about it.

It was the one rule of online gaming, lest it color people’s perceptions, their actions.

Dean’s never regretted the unspoken rule. He met many great friends that way (ie – pretty much all of them, as Sam would point out with an amused eyeroll) and it always worked out. And when opportunity presented itself, Dean turned online gaming friends into real ones: Charlie, Benny, Garth, Victor, Jo and Ash chief among them.

To no one’s surprise, when they actually met in person, Charlie and Benny turned out to be Alphas while Garth was an Omega and Ash was a Beta. But even Sam blinked when he realized that Victor and Jo were also Omegas.

Not that Dean cared. He loved the anonymity of presentations that online gaming allowed, letting him become friends with anyone he wanted based on personalities and likes, not worrying about second guessing everything he (or anyone else, for that matter) said for the other person to take offense (he had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth, even Dean had to admit) even if none was meant.

The only one Dean hadn’t met yet was Castiel. And even Sam knew, as little as he joined the others in their game sessions, that Cas was something special. But Dean seemed…afraid to meet the other man.

“I don’t get it, Dean, you weren’t like this for any of the other folks you met online. Why is Cas so different?” Sam asked perplexed. Dean blushed and stammered and Sam’s eyes went wide. “Oh shit…you  _like_ him, don’t you?”

“Shut up, Sammy,” Dean glared and Sam grinned.

After that realization came the relentless teasing, day in and day out. And when it wasn’t teasing, it was badgering Dean to just ask Cas out. And then the others joined in, often making some sort of comment during play where Dean cringed as Cas ‘missed’ every innuendo.

Dean knew it was stupid to feel rejected when he’d never even shown Cas he was interested, but he couldn’t help it. Because Cas hadn’t shown him any interest either. And Dean knew that while the world was still struggling to buck traditionally held thoughts about Alphas, Betas and Omegas, his luck wasn’t good that Cas would accept an Omega like him anyway.

Day by day, he descended further into misery, denying it all until the night it came to a head after he got a little too drunk during game time and someone said something – again – something so blatant that Cas had to be ignoring it on purpose. Ignored their potential, Dean’s feelings (he knew it was irrational, but he was a little too drunk to be rational) and Dean just had enough.

Without a word, in the middle of an important campaign, he logged out and stumbled away from his desk, tearing the headset off and looking for what was left of his whiskey.  This was stupid.  Dean was an Omega and – while he’d never let that stop him before – he was feeling too vulnerable to keep this up. He was feeling just morose enough to wish that he’d never met Cas online. Because if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be feeling this way.

Fuck.

He found the half empty bottle and proceeded to down it. His phone chimed – the tone for Castiel. He tried to ignore it, taking another swig. Since Cas was why he was in this mood to begin with, there was no way he was up to talking to the man.

But the phone went off again and again and again. Dean knew if he didn’t respond, Cas would just keep messaging him. Frustrated, he snatched up his phone, ignoring Cas’s “Are you okay Dean?” and all the messages after. Without stopping to think, he sloppily typed out his message and pressed send.

He regretted it the second he’d done so. Nearly sobering at the thought of what he’d just done.

Unable to face it, he chucked his phone across the room where it hit the wall, not wanting to see what he’d written, but it was already all he could see as he closed his eyes:

_Dean: i wsh i never met u_

Dean didn’t know if his phone stopped because he’d upset Cas with his words, or because he’d broken it when he’d tossed it. Either way, he deserved to wallow in silence, mired in his spiraling thoughts. Cas didn’t deserve that.

Instead, Dean searched his kitchen for more alcohol. He hadn’t meant it. It already hurt to think he wouldn’t talk to Cas ever again. Grimacing, forcing back the tears, he drank, hoping to drown out his thoughts.

Sprawling on the couch, the TV on but forgotten, eyes red (he’d failed to hold back the tears. He was just glad nobody had been there to see him crying his eyes out) head pounding and surrounded by empty bottles – he mourned for the loss of his friend. For surely Cas would want nothing to do with him for being so harsh and then ignoring him. God, his head was pounding – no, that was his fucking door. He groaned and tried to ignore it but just like his phone it  _wouldn’t_  stop!

He rolled to his feet and staggered to the door. Dean had no idea who it could be, only that it wasn’t Sam because Sam had his own key and would simply have just let himself in.

Actually, he was surprised Sam  _wasn’t_ here.

Yanking the door open, leaning heavily on the doorjamb, he growled, “What?” Dean blinked at the man on the other side. Just a touch shorter than Dean with dark, messy hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked frantic and out of breath and smelled worried. Dean’s eyes narrowed. “Look, buddy, I dunno who you are, but ya got the wrong apartment.”

“Dean,” the gravelly voice, so familiar, caused Dean’s bloodshot eyes to widen and his body to jerk back and stumble again, clutching at the door to stay upright.

“Cas?” he whispered.

“Let me in, Dean,” Castiel begged. “We need to talk.”

“Nothin’ to talk about, Cas,” Dean managed, but he stumbled away from the door, leaving it open behind him. With barely a hesitation, Cas followed, closing it behind him quietly.

“How much have you had to drink, Dean?” Cas looked around the small apartment, noting the empty bottles of different sorts of alcohol, and wrinkling his nose. Dean could only imagine what his friend might be smelling.

Dean shrugged and waved a hand around at the room, flopping down on the couch with a groan, “Uhhh…all of it?”

Castiel shook his head and stepped into the kitchen – the apartment was small enough that the kitchen and the living room was just one open room – and rummaged about for a glass, filling it from the tap and bringing it over to Dean. Cas sat gingerly beside him and handed Dean the glass. “Drink that, Dean. Do you have any aspirin?”

“Bathroom,” Dean muttered, not opening his eyes. He sniffed the air again. Underneath the worried and frustrated scent coming off of Cas was the most wonderful smell in the world but Dean just couldn’t pin it down. It kind of reminded him of thunderstorms. Strangely, it was actually sort of soothing.

Dean obediently swallowed the aspirin with a second glass of water when Cas returned. “What are you doing here, man?  _How_ did you…” Dean could barely get his brain to function to even ask the question.

“Sam told me how to get here. He had…some insight as to your behavior tonight and I’m sorry.”

Dean’s stomach lurched in panic. This was it. Cas knew how he felt, how stupid Dean was to fall in love with someone he’d never met, that didn’t return his feelings...couldn’t return his feelings, Dean was sure.

He didn’t realize he’d fallen into Cas’s arms, sobbing his own apologies through broken words until he felt Castiel’s hands combing through his hair.

“Shh…Dean, it’s all right…I’m not mad at you!” Cas sounded surprised, shocked. There was a confused thread of scent weaving its way around the room, twining with something anxious, “Why would I when…when I must confess, I have feelings for you as well. I thought they were unreturned and was determined not to make things awkward between us. I’ve been told I do that. I didn’t want to lose your friendship.”

“Really, Cas?” Dean hiccoughed.

“Yes, Dean. Let’s get you to bed. We can talk more when you’re sober,” Cas stood, helping Dean up and letting him lean against him as Cas helped him to the bedroom. It was slow going but finally he had deposited Dean on the bed. The man was already in boxers and a t-shirt so Cas just drew the blankets up to cover him. He let go and started to draw away, but a hand flopped out from under the blankets and managed to snag his arm.

“Stay?” Dean’s speech was slurred, hoarse. Castiel hesitated. Dean tugged at his arm and looked up at him imploringly and watched Cas’s face melt at the sight, the nervous scent relaxing a little.

“Of course,” he toed off his shoes and shrugged off his jacket and crawled onto the bed beside Dean. Before Dean knew it, he’d turned to Cas and wrapped himself around the other man, inhaling the soothing thunderstorm and falling asleep.

**

When Dean woke the next morning, his mouth dry and his head still pounding, the bed was empty. He felt his stomach twist, and he didn’t think it was entirely from the hangover he had. He rolled over, about to pull the blankets over his head when he noticed a fresh glass of ice water and more aspirin on the night stand. He blinked and sat up slowly, taking the aspirin and downing the water.

As Dean swallowed, he sniffed the air. The scent of thunderstorms ran lightly through the room, almost overpowered by something burning.

Burning?

He jumped up, groaning at the sharp pain it caused his head, and staggered into the kitchen to find a flustered Cas at the sink, having dumped…something…charred and smoking into the metal basin, water running over it.

Castiel looked up with sad eyes and an almost fearful scent as Dean came to his side. “I’m so sorry, Dean. I’m afraid I’m not much of a cook. Though I  _had_ thought I could at least make eggs. Please don’t be mad.”

Dean sighed and leaned against the counter, rubbing at his head. “Cas, did you set fire to the kitchen?”

“N-no?” Cas hesitantly looked down at the remains of his attempt to cook and then back up.

“Then why would I be mad at you? You tried to do something nice for me…even after I was such an ass.” Dean tried to subtly figure out the scents wafting off of Cas…but his stomach was roiling too much.

“Because…I’m an Omega, I’m  _supposed_ to know how to cook,” Cas started to say.

Dean blinked his eyes open and stared at Cas incredulously. “What?” His tone must have been too sharp because Cas flinched. A few things started to fall into place for Dean. He gentled his tone – really, his head thanked him for it – and tried again, “Cas, what does being an Omega have to do with anything?”

Cas sighed and looked away, fidgeting, “Dean, you…you must have noticed that I did not…attempt to meet you before this.”

“Yeah, well, neither did I, to be honest,” Dean muttered.

“Huh…I…well that’s true. But I just thought you didn’t want to but of course, I know now I was wrong. Why not, Dean?”

Dean shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t really know? I guess…I guess I was a little scared. I actually, y’know, really like you and…the only other times I’ve tried having a relationship, I kinda blew it. I was never what anyone expected me to be. I act more Alpha than what I am and, I mean, normally I don’t care. All those stereotypes are just…just stupid shit, y’know?” Dean waved a hand at Cas and he nodded in response. “But…a relationship is, well, different. I couldn’t stand to think that you wouldn’t like me if you actually met me.”

“That’s…” Cas breathed, “it’s the same for me. I’ve never fit in. Always told I’d never find a mate because I wasn’t a ‘proper’ Omega.” Dean nearly snorted at the quotation marks Cas made. “So when I realized how much I liked you…I thought surely you must not reciprocate.”

“Cas, you must have noticed all the things everyone else was saying?” Dean ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t believe they were here, having this conversation.

“Everyone else, Dean. Not you.” Cas looked up again. Dean looked into his sad blue eyes and finally identified the smell underlaying the thunderstorm in the kitchen.

Cas was sad…but hopeful too.

Maybe this wasn’t such a lost cause after all? They had both admitted to liking the other, to having the same sorts of worries. Once the idea came to him, he began to feel a bit giddy. Dean wondered what he smelled like to Cas. Within an instant, he knew it was something good because the other man’s eyes widened and his face broke into a wide, gummy smile. He reached out a hand and Dean took it.

“So…does this mean we’re a thing?” Dean asked shyly, staring down at their hands and then back up at Cas who was still smiling widely.

“If you want it to be, then yes. Let’s show the world that we don’t have to be bound by their stereotypes.” Cas’s gravelly voice and happy smell made Dean shudder.

“And remind ourselves, too,” Dean reached out with his other hand to press it to Castiel’s jaw. “We’ll carve a niche out, just for us.”

“The world will never know what hit it,” Cas said in mock solemnity, a twinkle in his blue eyes. Dean was almost lost in them, his headache long forgotten or long gone.

“You got it, babe,” Dean said before dipping in for a kiss, Castiel meeting him halfway.


	2. I Wish You Would Talk To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything should have been fine...except it wasn't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt 24 –
> 
> Alright then. "I wish you would talk to me" or the other varient there of. Continuation of that abo fic. Please. Pretty. With sugar. And sexy hot men on top.
> 
> 1506 words

After that, things should have been easy, right? Hell, Castiel and Dean both liked each other and they had the same fears, but well, that was the problem.

Both of them were afraid to be honest with each other any further than they already had been. Because what if the  _next_ thing they said was the thing that chased the other away? Or the one after that?

Tentatively, they shared each other’s space, watching movies together, going out for dinner, taking drives in the Impala, visiting the bee hives. They learned more about each other and yet…

And yet neither of them would make the next move. Despite the fact that they’d  _already_ made the next move. After that kiss…there’d been nothing.

But  _oh, my God_ , Dean sure as fuck wished there was. Cause Cas was  _hot._

And unless he was really mistaken in what he was smelling, Cas thought the same of him. So what the fuck was holding them back? It wasn’t as if they hadn’t gone through a get to know you period, even if it had been under the impression that they were only friends at the time.

Where was the magic step?

Tonight was another example of unresolved sexual tension and how much they were literally drowning in it. It was so bad, Dean hadn’t noticed anyone else leave the apartment because he was lost in Cas’s eyes. He hadn’t registered anything on the tv that had been on for the last couple of hours, because he was cuddled too close to Cas’s warmth.

Dean inhaled deeply that awesome storm fresh scent that Cas always brought into the apartment with him. It made his insides quiver and – judging from the wrinkling of his brothers nose whenever Cas got near Dean or Dean even  _thought_ about Cas – his arousal quite pronounced.

Inhaling again, Dean didn’t even realize his nose had Cas’s neck until the man stiffened and gasped beside him. Dean’s nose wrinkled as something sour hit it and he wondered what the hell he had left out to go bad – when he realized it was Cas.

Dean jerked away as if burned and noted how pale Cas looked, how frightened. The normally impassive face was still fairly well blank, but between Cas’s expressive blue eyes and  _that scent_  there was no mistaking how uncomfortable he’d become, how scared.

“Cas? Man, what’s wrong? Did I do something?” Dean’s arousal quickly cooled down. He’d thought Cas wanted this, wanted  _him._ Had his fears been right this whole time? But why would Cas have lied to him? Had someone put him up to this?

“Nothing is wrong, Dean,” Castiel’s gravelly voice intoned flatly.

“Bullshit, Cas,” Dean bit out, “I thought…I thought we were on the same page, that we were both on board here. But I can’t even get a little bit close without freaking out on me. I mean, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but you gotta talk to me!”

“We are talking,” Cas tilted his head in that way of his that Dean  _normally_ thought was cute and endearing as hell, but right now, was trying his patience. Was Cas really trying to play ignorant here?

“I don’t mean just words, man, I mean words that have meaning,” Dean rubbed a hand over his eyes.

“All words have meaning,” Castiel insisted, the tilt growing more pronounced.

“Oh my God, Cas – that’s not what I mean,” Dean blew out a breath, closed his eyes and just breathed in and out for a few seconds. He sighed, opened his eyes and reached a hand to grab Cas’s. “Look, somewhere or another, we have some sort of disconnect going on. Let’s see if we can find it, okay?”

“Okay,” Cas agreed with a nod, not only allowing Dean to grab his hand, but going so far as t curl his fingers around Dean’s with a nervous smile

“I like you and you like me – true or false?”

“True,” Cas nodded as he spoke.

“Great! We both like spending time with each other?” Dean asked, “Just assume that any statement with we means I already agree with my half and just judge your side of it.” A wider grin appeared on Cas’s face while he nodded and Dean felt a small surge of triumph. “We shared one hell of a kiss that first time we met face to face – and by hell of a kiss, I mean I  _really_  enjoyed it.”

This time Cas’s nod was shaky and - aha! The smell Dean could catch now was both aroused and embarrassed. Wait, was it that simple?

“Now let’s back it up a step. Do you like physical contact with me? Like this?” Dean glanced down at their clasped hands, Castiel’s eyes following his movements. He nodded at Dean. “And this?” Dean slid his other arm around Cas and tucked himself into Cas’s side, laying his head on Cas’s shoulder. There was another nod. “What about this?” Dean turned his head slightly to press a light kiss to Cas’s neck and the man shuddered, and the nervous, nearly scared scent ramped up.

Dean jerked back again, tried to pull his hand away from Cas to give him his space but Cas’s fingers convulsed and tightened on Dean’s with a whimper, not letting go.

“See, man, this is what we need to talk about. I don’t know what’s okay…cause something is clearly  _not_ okay and I don’t want to make you upset,” Dean tentatively raised a hand to cup Castiel’s’ cheek, sliding down to his jaw, Castiel leaned into it with closed eyes.

“It’s…not your fault Dean, it’s just that…I told you I’m not a very good Omega. I’ve never  _had_  a relationship that went any further than the first few dates before. I’ve never…” Castiel’s’ low voice dropped into a whisper “ _had sex.”_

Dean blinked. That certainly wasn’t what he had expected to hear. “But, Cas, I don’t care about that. Everyone in their lives has been at that point before. I’m not gonna make fun of you, if that’s what you think.”

“It’s…it’s not just that. It’s that…we’re  _both_ Omegas, Dean. Who…what if…who does…?” Castiel stammered, clearly uncomfortable, but at least willing to talk it out.

Dean restrained a laugh, “Who does the pitching? Who says we can’t take turns? Though, I gotta tell you, I’m dying to let you top. Just think about it, man. We got the same basic equipment as Alphas – you don’t need a knot to have fun. We just have a little something extra that’s gonna… _smooth the way_ , if you know what I mean.” Dean waggled his eyebrows flirtatiously, causing Cas to laugh, tension bleeding out of his body, his scent turning again and making Dean’s mouth water and his pants just a little damp.

Judging from the look in Castiel’s eyes, his might be suffering the same fate. He leaned closer to Dean and gave him a tentative kiss, so different then the last one they shared, but it was full of emotion. The scent of arousal was now flooding off both of them and it was likely a good thing their friends had all bailed for the night before this, because otherwise, they might have gagged over the powerful smells both Omegas were emitting.

Before Dean knew it, Cas had pressed him to the couch and, with a little guidance, shifted his lips to attach and lick at Dean’s jaw, up to the lobe of his ear, down his throat to that one spot on his neck that had Dean sooooooooo ready for anything Cas wanted to do.

He whined when Cas pulled back, looking somewhat nervous again, smelling conflicted. Dean smiled up at him softly. “No worries, Cas, we’ll take it as slow as you want. If all you wanna do tonight is make out, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Even if you want more?” Cas asked with a wavering voice.

“Cas, I don’t want more if you don’t, no matter if my body says otherwise. It’s not the master of me. I’m on board for whatever you want to give, and if that means it takes years, then it takes years. Sex is fun, but so is just  _being_ with you,” Dean insisted, trying to cool his ardor and show Cas the proof of his words.

Cas grinned that gummy smile of his that Dean had already grown to love and dove in for another panty melting kiss – not that Dean was wearing any of those. Nope, nosirree, not him – and pulled back, resting his head on Dean’s forehead, his body covering Dean’s as they lay on the couch, their feet tangled together. One set of hands still held together while the other set made tentative caresses along jaws, scratched enticingly against the scalp beneath it.

“Thank you, Dean, for being understanding,” Castiel rumbled out happily.

“Yeah, babe, any time,” Dean beamed back up at him. God, but Cas made him ridiculously happy. They could do this, he just knew it.


End file.
